HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!
About the contest: From www.writing.ie:
"Writing.ie intends to be an ever-evolving source of information for writers and readers alike – as you can see we haven’t covered everything yet, so if you are an author and feel you could contribute to our Writers Tool Box pages, or would like to discuss your genre in Meet the Authors do please get in touch! If you have a book review or feel there is any other part of the site you can contribute to, drop us an email.
"If you have an event coming up or are running a writing course, tell us about it!
"Writing.ie is about all about reading, writing and you - we welcome your suggestions. Get in touch with us at contact@writing.ie
As part of the launch of this new resource, Anam Cara is sponsoring The Writers' Nightmare Book Jacket Review Contest. For information, go to:
http://www.writing.ie/for-readers/competitions-and-giveaways.html
Enter as many times as you'd like. Good luck!!!
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Friday, February 4, 2011
Workshop Retreat Season Off to a Tremendous Start!
The first workshop in 2011 represents the fine quality that Anam Cara's workshop retreat season has to offer. Because so many fiction writers have been inspired by his book Emotional Structure: Creating the Story Beneath the Plot: A Guide for Screenwriters, Peter Dunne will be applying his approach to benefit writers of all genre who have a story to tell.
Kristin Veel (Copenhagen, Denmark) affirms this point: "Even though I am not a screenwriter, I found Peter Dunne's book immensely helpful. With its easily applicable tools and step-by-step advice, it is a great companion to the journey of every writing process. However, the main strength of the book lies in its ability to identify and unlock the creative potential embedded in the realization that a writing process is a personal journey for the characters as well as the author."
I look forward to hearing from you (anamcararetreat@gmail.com) about the possibility of your retreating to Anam Cara to enhance your writing by sharing in this invaluable experience. I send my best wishes, Sue
(Bookings reserved with a deposit one month before the workshhop retreat will receive an early-registration discount; this workshop retreat is limited to 6 minimum and 12 maximum participants.)
Emotional Structure and the Storyteller
Leader: Peter Dunne (http://pdunne.com)
One-week Residential Workshop Retreat
Arrival: Saturday, 16 April 2011
Departure: Saturday, 23 April 2011
"Novel, short story, memoir, essay, you name it, when it comes to storytelling, some problems are universal.One in particular, the gravest possibly, I call the Breaking Point.
"The Breaking Point isn't a writing problem. It is a writer problem. It is the point at which either the writer wins, or the problem wins. At the Breaking Point, the story you are trying to tell resists being told. You find yourself staring at all the good, hard work you have done, and beg the gods to lead you on. But the story will not budge, and it does so because it knows, even when you don't, that something vital in your writing is going unwritten. All of your original ideas containing the very spirit of everything you intended to write have slithered through your fingers like a bucket of eels. The meaning of your work has escaped. And you are on the verge of giving up the search. Don't.
"Here is your chance to find it again, and to find your way back into your story. Set in the magical atmosphere of the Beara peninsula's Anam Cara Writer's and Artist's Retreat, our one-week workshop retreat "Emotional Structure for the Storyteller" will enable you to once again say in your writing what you've always felt, with confidence and clarity."
More Testimonials: (From two more of the fiction and non-fiction writers who have read Peter's book)
Eileen Pierce (San Pancho, Mexico): "I am still reeling from my stay at Anam Cara where multiple muses helped me shape a chaotic memoir of a fragmentary life. Besides the wonderful editing assistance of Sue, the enchanting walks along the river that meanders through the property, the consistently fresh, gourmet meals, and the exciting silent hours I spent finding my way to the center of a work I had almost abandoned as a lost cause, I managed to read Peter Dunne's book; it was revelatory. Though I am not a screenwriter, I picked the book up because Mr. Dunne had just completed a very successful workshop at Anam Cara. I meant to glance at it briefly. Instead, I discovered a wealth of information about the emotional structure essential to all fiction and non-fiction. Though I had hoped to return to Anam Cara in September, one of the loveliest times to visit Ireland, I am now hoping to negotiate an April retreat when Mr. Dunne is giving another workshop retreat."
Catherine Hickie, Sydney, Australia: "Recently, wrestling with the narrative threads of a novel too long in progress, I got hold of a copy of Peter Dunne's book. I wish I had read it earlier. After 70,000 words and many drafts [of my novel], I seemed to be spinning my wheels, making changes but no real progress. And the doubts had me almost frozen. I had characters, setting, plot, but what was I really writing about?
"...I was surprised by the quiet reflectiveness of the book. Dunne talks about the difference between knowing things and being wise. He does know things, but his book is a page turner because it is wise. I found myself engrossed in the book for its truths about relationships, desires and disappointments and forgetting that I had a novel to finish.
"...Although the book was written with screenplays in mind, it offers sound principles for any creator of stories. There are useful suggestions for establishing a writing life -- my favourite was Dunne's challenge to the procrastination mindset, 'I'll be a writer one day when....'. Make the time now, he exhorts us. Take fifteen minutes from your TV watching time, eat faster. Whatever it takes. Start writing now.
"...The real magic for me began when I set Dunne's book aside and re-read mine. The critical eye that had me spinning my writing wheels for months had disappeared. I read with a new curiosity and excitement. And I was writing again. Not correcting or rewriting, writing.
"Peter Dunne [and his approach to storytelling] can make your story better. You can't ask for more than that."
Peter's Bio:
An award-winning producer and writer, Peter Dunne brings three decades of experience in script development, writing, and producing to every project. His experiences as a writer and producer have taken him around the world: from Los Angeles to London, from Portland to Atlanta, from Las Vegas to New Zealand.
Peter served as the Vice President of Development for three Hollywood studios before beginning his career as a screenwriter and producer. Among the projects he has produced and/or written are such television classics as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Melrose Place, Savannah, Police Story, Dallas, Knots Landing, JAG, Nowhere Man, Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman, and the extraordinary mini-series Sybil.
He has compiled an impressive list of honors along the way that includes the Emmy Award, the George Foster Peabody Broadcasting Award, the Scott Newman Award, the Chicago Film Festival's Silver Hugo, and the distinguished Kennedy Foundation Honors, among others.
Peter is the author of the book Emotional Structure: Creating the Story Beneath the Plot (A Screenwriter's Guide), published by Quill Driver Press, and is a contributing writer to Quality TV: Contemporary American Television and Beyond, published by I.B. Taurus, London. He teaches screenwriting at the UCLA School of the Arts, Writers' Program, and has been a visiting lecturer in Creative Writing and Memoir Writing at UCLA, Santa Clara University, The University of Southern California, and The University of Central America in El Salvador.
A dual-citizen of the United States and Ireland, Dunne is a member of the Writers Guild of America, the Producers Guild of America, The Irish Writers Union, PEN Ireland, PEN USA, and PEN International. He is currently working on two new books.
Kristin Veel (Copenhagen, Denmark) affirms this point: "Even though I am not a screenwriter, I found Peter Dunne's book immensely helpful. With its easily applicable tools and step-by-step advice, it is a great companion to the journey of every writing process. However, the main strength of the book lies in its ability to identify and unlock the creative potential embedded in the realization that a writing process is a personal journey for the characters as well as the author."
I look forward to hearing from you (anamcararetreat@gmail.com) about the possibility of your retreating to Anam Cara to enhance your writing by sharing in this invaluable experience. I send my best wishes, Sue
(Bookings reserved with a deposit one month before the workshhop retreat will receive an early-registration discount; this workshop retreat is limited to 6 minimum and 12 maximum participants.)
Emotional Structure and the StorytellerLeader: Peter Dunne (http://pdunne.com)
One-week Residential Workshop Retreat
Arrival: Saturday, 16 April 2011
Departure: Saturday, 23 April 2011
"Novel, short story, memoir, essay, you name it, when it comes to storytelling, some problems are universal.One in particular, the gravest possibly, I call the Breaking Point.
"The Breaking Point isn't a writing problem. It is a writer problem. It is the point at which either the writer wins, or the problem wins. At the Breaking Point, the story you are trying to tell resists being told. You find yourself staring at all the good, hard work you have done, and beg the gods to lead you on. But the story will not budge, and it does so because it knows, even when you don't, that something vital in your writing is going unwritten. All of your original ideas containing the very spirit of everything you intended to write have slithered through your fingers like a bucket of eels. The meaning of your work has escaped. And you are on the verge of giving up the search. Don't.
"Here is your chance to find it again, and to find your way back into your story. Set in the magical atmosphere of the Beara peninsula's Anam Cara Writer's and Artist's Retreat, our one-week workshop retreat "Emotional Structure for the Storyteller" will enable you to once again say in your writing what you've always felt, with confidence and clarity."
More Testimonials: (From two more of the fiction and non-fiction writers who have read Peter's book)
Eileen Pierce (San Pancho, Mexico): "I am still reeling from my stay at Anam Cara where multiple muses helped me shape a chaotic memoir of a fragmentary life. Besides the wonderful editing assistance of Sue, the enchanting walks along the river that meanders through the property, the consistently fresh, gourmet meals, and the exciting silent hours I spent finding my way to the center of a work I had almost abandoned as a lost cause, I managed to read Peter Dunne's book; it was revelatory. Though I am not a screenwriter, I picked the book up because Mr. Dunne had just completed a very successful workshop at Anam Cara. I meant to glance at it briefly. Instead, I discovered a wealth of information about the emotional structure essential to all fiction and non-fiction. Though I had hoped to return to Anam Cara in September, one of the loveliest times to visit Ireland, I am now hoping to negotiate an April retreat when Mr. Dunne is giving another workshop retreat."
Catherine Hickie, Sydney, Australia: "Recently, wrestling with the narrative threads of a novel too long in progress, I got hold of a copy of Peter Dunne's book. I wish I had read it earlier. After 70,000 words and many drafts [of my novel], I seemed to be spinning my wheels, making changes but no real progress. And the doubts had me almost frozen. I had characters, setting, plot, but what was I really writing about?
"...I was surprised by the quiet reflectiveness of the book. Dunne talks about the difference between knowing things and being wise. He does know things, but his book is a page turner because it is wise. I found myself engrossed in the book for its truths about relationships, desires and disappointments and forgetting that I had a novel to finish.
"...Although the book was written with screenplays in mind, it offers sound principles for any creator of stories. There are useful suggestions for establishing a writing life -- my favourite was Dunne's challenge to the procrastination mindset, 'I'll be a writer one day when....'. Make the time now, he exhorts us. Take fifteen minutes from your TV watching time, eat faster. Whatever it takes. Start writing now.
"...The real magic for me began when I set Dunne's book aside and re-read mine. The critical eye that had me spinning my writing wheels for months had disappeared. I read with a new curiosity and excitement. And I was writing again. Not correcting or rewriting, writing.
"Peter Dunne [and his approach to storytelling] can make your story better. You can't ask for more than that."
Peter's Bio:
An award-winning producer and writer, Peter Dunne brings three decades of experience in script development, writing, and producing to every project. His experiences as a writer and producer have taken him around the world: from Los Angeles to London, from Portland to Atlanta, from Las Vegas to New Zealand.
Peter served as the Vice President of Development for three Hollywood studios before beginning his career as a screenwriter and producer. Among the projects he has produced and/or written are such television classics as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Melrose Place, Savannah, Police Story, Dallas, Knots Landing, JAG, Nowhere Man, Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman, and the extraordinary mini-series Sybil.
He has compiled an impressive list of honors along the way that includes the Emmy Award, the George Foster Peabody Broadcasting Award, the Scott Newman Award, the Chicago Film Festival's Silver Hugo, and the distinguished Kennedy Foundation Honors, among others.
Peter is the author of the book Emotional Structure: Creating the Story Beneath the Plot (A Screenwriter's Guide), published by Quill Driver Press, and is a contributing writer to Quality TV: Contemporary American Television and Beyond, published by I.B. Taurus, London. He teaches screenwriting at the UCLA School of the Arts, Writers' Program, and has been a visiting lecturer in Creative Writing and Memoir Writing at UCLA, Santa Clara University, The University of Southern California, and The University of Central America in El Salvador.
A dual-citizen of the United States and Ireland, Dunne is a member of the Writers Guild of America, the Producers Guild of America, The Irish Writers Union, PEN Ireland, PEN USA, and PEN International. He is currently working on two new books.
Friday, January 28, 2011
2011 Workshop Retreat Season Begins in April
Throughout the year, individuals retreat to Anam Cara to work on their own projects; however, we also offer a number of week-long, focused, residential workshop retreats covering a wide variety of topics.
Each award-winning workshop leader brings his or her own unique gift, experience, and expertise to the workshop subject. I hope there is something here that will be just what you need to enhance your own creative gifts!
This year's schedule is listed below; for more detailed information, go to http://www.anamcararetreat.com/index.php/workshops and contact Sue at anamcararetreat@gmail.com.
Emotional Structure and the Storyteller
Led by Peter Dunne (http://pdunne.com)
16-23 April 2011
Short Fiction: So Much More Than It Seems...
Led by Vanessa Gebbie (http://www.vanessagebbie.com/)
28 May - 4 June 2011
Learning to See: A Drawing and Painting Workshop Retreat
Led by Seamus Berkeley (http://seamusberkeley.com/)
11-18 June 2011
Writing from Your Life
Led by Amanda Smyth
25 June - 2 July 2011
Creativity and Spirituality
Led by Fr. Michael McCarthy
2-9 July 2011
Finishing and Marketing Your Book
Led by Susan Hubbard (www.susanhubbard.com)
9-16 July 2011
Finding the Story
Led by Nessa O'Mahony and Peter Salisbury (sww.scealtaworkshops.ie)
6-13 August 2011
Creating from Within
Led by Maeve O'Sullivan and Kim Richardson
13-20 August 2011
Each award-winning workshop leader brings his or her own unique gift, experience, and expertise to the workshop subject. I hope there is something here that will be just what you need to enhance your own creative gifts!
This year's schedule is listed below; for more detailed information, go to http://www.anamcararetreat.com/index.php/workshops and contact Sue at anamcararetreat@gmail.com.
Emotional Structure and the Storyteller
Led by Peter Dunne (http://pdunne.com)
16-23 April 2011
Short Fiction: So Much More Than It Seems...
Led by Vanessa Gebbie (http://www.vanessagebbie.com/)
28 May - 4 June 2011
Learning to See: A Drawing and Painting Workshop Retreat
Led by Seamus Berkeley (http://seamusberkeley.com/)
11-18 June 2011
Writing from Your Life
Led by Amanda Smyth
25 June - 2 July 2011
Creativity and Spirituality
Led by Fr. Michael McCarthy
2-9 July 2011
Finishing and Marketing Your Book
Led by Susan Hubbard (www.susanhubbard.com)
9-16 July 2011
Finding the Story
Led by Nessa O'Mahony and Peter Salisbury (sww.scealtaworkshops.ie)
6-13 August 2011
Creating from Within
Led by Maeve O'Sullivan and Kim Richardson
13-20 August 2011
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Beara Writing Group Announces Summer Writing Competition
Entitled "Poets Meet Painters," this competition is open to adults and children and will be judged by Irish poet and art critic, Cherry Smyth.
To enter, just take the following steps:
1. Visit the Gallery and walk through the Sculpture Gardens, or take a virtual tour of the artwork online at www.millcovegallery.com and/or attend a warm-up session on Sunday 23rd May at Mill Cove Gallery.
2. Contact Jennifer Russell at E. russelljen@yahoo.co.uk to get an entry form.
3. Choose a painting or sculpture that inspires you from the selected list.
4. Write a poem, story, or piece of prose (up to 40 lines) related to your selected art work.
4. Submit your entry (unlimited number) and €4 entry fee per submission by post or in person at the Gallery on or before the 14th June 2010.
5. You are invited to attend the Gallery on Saturday 31st July 2010, 6-8 pm for the announcement of winners, launch of the publication of short-listed entries and to meet the artists.
Here are the guidelines for the competition:
1. Closing date for entry is 14th June 2010.
2. Completed entry forms must be returned to: Jennifer Russell, Cappacluherane, Ardgroom Outward, Beara, Co.Cork.
3. You may enter as many poems or short prose pieces as you wish.
4. Please use a separate entry form for each poem or short prose piece submitted.
5. Enclose €4 ($6) by check or money order made payable to Poets Meet Painters for each piece submitted. Do not send cash with your entry.
6. Entry forms may be down loaded from the web site www.millcovegallery.com but cannot be submitted on line.
7. Each poem or short prose piece must not exceed 40 lines.
8. DO NOT PUT YOUR NAME OR ANY OTHER IDENTIFYING INFORMATION ON YOUR WORK. Submit your poem or short prose piece in a second envelope with your entry form.
9. Please put the name of the work of art that inspired you on your poem or short prose piece.
10. All submissions must be typed.
11. All winning poems/short prose pieces will be published.
12. The Publication of winning poems/short prose pieces will be launched at Mill Cove Gallery on 31st July 2010.
13. All enquiries by email to: russelljen@yahoo.co.uk, or tel. +353(0)86 102 8931.
To enter, just take the following steps:
1. Visit the Gallery and walk through the Sculpture Gardens, or take a virtual tour of the artwork online at www.millcovegallery.com and/or attend a warm-up session on Sunday 23rd May at Mill Cove Gallery.
2. Contact Jennifer Russell at E. russelljen@yahoo.co.uk to get an entry form.
3. Choose a painting or sculpture that inspires you from the selected list.
4. Write a poem, story, or piece of prose (up to 40 lines) related to your selected art work.
4. Submit your entry (unlimited number) and €4 entry fee per submission by post or in person at the Gallery on or before the 14th June 2010.
5. You are invited to attend the Gallery on Saturday 31st July 2010, 6-8 pm for the announcement of winners, launch of the publication of short-listed entries and to meet the artists.
Here are the guidelines for the competition:
1. Closing date for entry is 14th June 2010.
2. Completed entry forms must be returned to: Jennifer Russell, Cappacluherane, Ardgroom Outward, Beara, Co.Cork.
3. You may enter as many poems or short prose pieces as you wish.
4. Please use a separate entry form for each poem or short prose piece submitted.
5. Enclose €4 ($6) by check or money order made payable to Poets Meet Painters for each piece submitted. Do not send cash with your entry.
6. Entry forms may be down loaded from the web site www.millcovegallery.com but cannot be submitted on line.
7. Each poem or short prose piece must not exceed 40 lines.
8. DO NOT PUT YOUR NAME OR ANY OTHER IDENTIFYING INFORMATION ON YOUR WORK. Submit your poem or short prose piece in a second envelope with your entry form.
9. Please put the name of the work of art that inspired you on your poem or short prose piece.
10. All submissions must be typed.
11. All winning poems/short prose pieces will be published.
12. The Publication of winning poems/short prose pieces will be launched at Mill Cove Gallery on 31st July 2010.
13. All enquiries by email to: russelljen@yahoo.co.uk, or tel. +353(0)86 102 8931.
Anam Cara Alum Night at the London Premiere of JD Smith's Play
Sue Guiney, the creator of CurvingRoad, a novelist and poet, and an Anam Cara writer-in-residence has sent the following invitation:
"J.D. and I would like to invite to a special evening performance for Anam Cara alums and other writers of The Next Curve: 2 One Act Plays. JD’s play Dig is one of the two.
An incompetent killer. A belligerent victim. What happens when a gangland killing goes wrong? And which is more frightening - the gun, or the shovel?
"JD’s play will be seen along with another world premiere, No More, Salvator, written by the Scottish playwright, Michael Hart.
Mona Lisa spars with her nemesis, Renaissance painter Salvator Rosa, who’s giant landscapes hang beside her for centuries. Fact and fiction meet in this comedy about love, art and the power of celebrity.
"JD and his wife, Paula, will be coming to London for the event, and I know he’d love to have the audience filled with as many friendly faces as possible. The show is at The Old Red Lion Theatre, which is a 5 minute walk from the Angel tube stop in Islington. Tickets can be purchased either by calling the box office at 020 7837 7816 or on-line at www.oldredliontheatre.co.uk.
"We are well into rehearsals, and, I must say, we have a fantastic cast. I do believe it will be a great show. If you know of any other Anam Cara alums or writers who would like to come that night and then stay for a bit of a celebration with JD in the pub below, do feel free to pass this invitation on. I know there are more of us out there, but I don’t have everyone’s email addresses. And of course, even if you’re not free on the 23rd, I do hope you’ll come to one of the other performances. I’ll be there most nights so we can always toast JD in his absence.
It’s been a real thrill to be able to bring J.D.’s work to life. I hope you can come see it."
"J.D. and I would like to invite to a special evening performance for Anam Cara alums and other writers of The Next Curve: 2 One Act Plays. JD’s play Dig is one of the two.
An incompetent killer. A belligerent victim. What happens when a gangland killing goes wrong? And which is more frightening - the gun, or the shovel?
"JD’s play will be seen along with another world premiere, No More, Salvator, written by the Scottish playwright, Michael Hart.
Mona Lisa spars with her nemesis, Renaissance painter Salvator Rosa, who’s giant landscapes hang beside her for centuries. Fact and fiction meet in this comedy about love, art and the power of celebrity.
"JD and his wife, Paula, will be coming to London for the event, and I know he’d love to have the audience filled with as many friendly faces as possible. The show is at The Old Red Lion Theatre, which is a 5 minute walk from the Angel tube stop in Islington. Tickets can be purchased either by calling the box office at 020 7837 7816 or on-line at www.oldredliontheatre.co.uk.
"We are well into rehearsals, and, I must say, we have a fantastic cast. I do believe it will be a great show. If you know of any other Anam Cara alums or writers who would like to come that night and then stay for a bit of a celebration with JD in the pub below, do feel free to pass this invitation on. I know there are more of us out there, but I don’t have everyone’s email addresses. And of course, even if you’re not free on the 23rd, I do hope you’ll come to one of the other performances. I’ll be there most nights so we can always toast JD in his absence.
It’s been a real thrill to be able to bring J.D.’s work to life. I hope you can come see it."
New Dates Set for Haiku and Meditation Workshop
Due to popular demand for an alternative, shortened format this year, the “Writing from Within” workshop 2010, led by Kim Richardson and Maeve O’Sullivan, will now run from Thursday, 22nd to Sunday 25th July 2010 as a "long weekend" workshop. While tuition in some of the forms related to haiku have, of necessity, been cut back from the weeklong version, along with a number of meditations, we are confident that the integrity and essential values of the week-long workshop will be held, as they were last July.
Combining the haiku work with meditation, breath, and light practices, the outstanding natural beauty of Ireland's Béara Peninsula and the peace and quiet of Anam Cara, our aim is to heighten our levels of awareness, finding a path to the "principle within," which is the true source of our inspiration.
The new workshop Fee is €450 ($400 if booked by 17 June with a 50% deposit), and it includes:
· Workshop tuition and meditation/exercise sessions
· Room and full board with your own room and en suite (either at Anam Cara or a nearby B&B; transport to and from B&Bs to Anam Cara provided if needed)
· Access to all the amenities at Anam Cara including the common working areas, the movie and music loft, the conservatory, the hot tub overlooking Coulagh Bay (bring your swimming costume), the sauna, and the five acres of garden and riverbank grove with 34 quiet nooks and crannies
For further information and bookings, e-mail Sue at anamcararetreat@gmail.com. Please note that "Writing from Within" is limited to a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 12 participants on a first-deposit-in basis.
Combining the haiku work with meditation, breath, and light practices, the outstanding natural beauty of Ireland's Béara Peninsula and the peace and quiet of Anam Cara, our aim is to heighten our levels of awareness, finding a path to the "principle within," which is the true source of our inspiration.
The new workshop Fee is €450 ($400 if booked by 17 June with a 50% deposit), and it includes:
· Workshop tuition and meditation/exercise sessions
· Room and full board with your own room and en suite (either at Anam Cara or a nearby B&B; transport to and from B&Bs to Anam Cara provided if needed)
· Access to all the amenities at Anam Cara including the common working areas, the movie and music loft, the conservatory, the hot tub overlooking Coulagh Bay (bring your swimming costume), the sauna, and the five acres of garden and riverbank grove with 34 quiet nooks and crannies
For further information and bookings, e-mail Sue at anamcararetreat@gmail.com. Please note that "Writing from Within" is limited to a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 12 participants on a first-deposit-in basis.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Naomi Barlow Larson, 1923-2010, R.I.P.
"I have an idea that some [wo]men are born out of their due place. Accident has cast them amid strangers in their birthplace, and the leafy lanes they have known from childhood or the populous streets in which they have played, remain but a place of passage. . . .Sometimes a woman hits upon a place to which she mysteriously feels that she belongs. Here is the home she sought, and she will settle amid scenes that she has never seen before, among men and women she has never known, as though they were familiar to her from her birth. Here at last she finds rest." W. Somerset Maugham
From Moon and Sixpence
In the early spring of 1996, I began to make much-needed changes in my life and to fulfill a long-held dream. Now, fourteen years later, I am constantly grateful to be living that dream in the home that I found on Beara and to all those who through their moral, spiritual, and financial support helped make that possible.
My mother, Naomi Barlow Larson, has been my most valiant supporter. On Wednesday, 14 April, she successfully finished "winding up her own ball of yarn," and as we say in Eyeries, I am lonely after her. Not only did she have faith in me, she put her resources behind that faith. At a time when it was assumed by many that I would be returning to my childhood home, she encouraged and supported me to follow my heart, to find the home I sought.
Because her touches are everywhere, she is very much a part of the "dailiness" of life at Anam Cara. Her presence is probably most felt in the kitchen -- in the meals prepared from recipes remembered from my childhood and in the conversations around the table. (The photo is of pecan pies made from her recipe* as gifts for Anam Cara neighbours at Christmas time.)
I chose to name the retreat Anam Cara (Irish for soul friend) in the hope that it would house many, including myself, who would become such to themselves and each other and because my first anam cara, my mother, helped to make my dream a reality. For all she was and did, I will be eternally grateful.
*Pecan Pie from Naomi Barlow Larson
3 eggs
½ t. vanilla (Mom uses Mexican vanilla.)
2/3 cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup butter, melted
1 cup dark corn syrup (or ¾ cup light corn syrup plus ¼ cup molasses)
1 cup pecan halves
Beat together with rotary beater, slightly. Pour into pastry-lined pie pan. Bake at 350˚ F. for 15 min. and then at 325˚ for 30 more min.
Never-fail Pie Crust Pastry from Lois Barlow Hill
2 ½ cups flour
1 cup shortening
1 egg, 1 tablespoon white vinegar, and enough water to make ½ cup of liquid
1 teaspoon salt
Blend flour and shortening until it forms smallish crumbs. Add liquid and mix together to form pastry dough. Roll out on floured surface to make sheet to line pie pan.
From Moon and Sixpence
In the early spring of 1996, I began to make much-needed changes in my life and to fulfill a long-held dream. Now, fourteen years later, I am constantly grateful to be living that dream in the home that I found on Beara and to all those who through their moral, spiritual, and financial support helped make that possible.
My mother, Naomi Barlow Larson, has been my most valiant supporter. On Wednesday, 14 April, she successfully finished "winding up her own ball of yarn," and as we say in Eyeries, I am lonely after her. Not only did she have faith in me, she put her resources behind that faith. At a time when it was assumed by many that I would be returning to my childhood home, she encouraged and supported me to follow my heart, to find the home I sought.
Because her touches are everywhere, she is very much a part of the "dailiness" of life at Anam Cara. Her presence is probably most felt in the kitchen -- in the meals prepared from recipes remembered from my childhood and in the conversations around the table. (The photo is of pecan pies made from her recipe* as gifts for Anam Cara neighbours at Christmas time.)I chose to name the retreat Anam Cara (Irish for soul friend) in the hope that it would house many, including myself, who would become such to themselves and each other and because my first anam cara, my mother, helped to make my dream a reality. For all she was and did, I will be eternally grateful.
*Pecan Pie from Naomi Barlow Larson
3 eggs
½ t. vanilla (Mom uses Mexican vanilla.)
2/3 cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup butter, melted
1 cup dark corn syrup (or ¾ cup light corn syrup plus ¼ cup molasses)
1 cup pecan halves
Beat together with rotary beater, slightly. Pour into pastry-lined pie pan. Bake at 350˚ F. for 15 min. and then at 325˚ for 30 more min.
Never-fail Pie Crust Pastry from Lois Barlow Hill
2 ½ cups flour
1 cup shortening
1 egg, 1 tablespoon white vinegar, and enough water to make ½ cup of liquid
1 teaspoon salt
Blend flour and shortening until it forms smallish crumbs. Add liquid and mix together to form pastry dough. Roll out on floured surface to make sheet to line pie pan.
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